







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| That's why you have a headache now! | |
| Hello Mike, not much, how are you? | |
| No worries Mike, as I said, he only does it when he is stressed. | |
| Why do you want to live there? | |
| Umm, Dick is here, dear, he is the landlord... | |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | |
| Here you can take it, be careful, it's very hot. | |
| Oh f*ck, what kind of tap is this? | |
| I hope it's not the right address! It looks awful. | |
| Because the other people complain about me smoking there. | |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | |
| What is it about? | |
| Do you go to the Windmill often? | |
| Yeah, I wonder if we share the same taste in movies! | |
| Do your parents live in London, too? | |
| Okay, how much salt do you want me to add? | |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | |
| I hope he gets well soon. | |